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llywelaSN 3.01 The Magnificent Seven:
Sooooo happy to have the boys back. Hiatus is way too long. And there was so much potential goodness for the third season set up by the ending of the second, the waiting to find out if that potential would be paid off and lived up to has made it seem longer still! Maybe not the strongest episode ever, but not the weakest either, not by a long shot: it was a whole lot of fun.
Oh boys. Loved them both so very, very much in this. There's an army of demons just got unleashed on the world, and Dean only has a year left to live, and yet it was like all their burdens had just rolled right off them.
Dean especially, of course. He's finally and completely discharged all that responsibility that's been hanging over his head for such a long time - most of his life, some of it - relieved himself of the burdens that weighed him down so heavily last season. He's saved Sam, seen his father find eternal rest, and killed the Yellow-Eyed Demon that had destroyed his family. He's practically giddy with relief. That's the best part of 24 years of hard work, pain and responsibility off his shoulders at last, and his light-hearted relief follows on well from where we left him at the end of All Hell Breaks Loose, still riding the incredible adrenaline high of an impossible task successfully accomplished. With one year left on the clock, and counting, he wants to cut loose and have a little fun wherever possible, and who can blame him?
Trying a little too hard at times to convince that he's absolutely okay with it all? That too. And that's very Dean. It kind of surprised me at first that he would so openly talk about having only one year left to live, rubbing it in for Sam. But he said it so often, over and over, that it started to make sense. He's using direct confrontation of the issue to avoid the issue. Like if he says it often enough he can convince Sam - and Bobby - that it really is real, and there really is no way out, and he's good with that. The more he says it, the more uncomfortable they are with confronting him about it, which suits him just fine. Until Sam finally snaps and calls him on it.
Sam was just gorgeous in this episode. I've never loved him more. Because he's also riding the post-YED high, the weight just rolling off his shoulders, but with a brand new focus for his obsessive-compulsive tendencies added. Sam was practically paralysed with fear for so much of last season - fear of what the YED had planned for him, fear of what he might turn into - I'd almost forgotten how much fun he can be when he relaxes. He had such wonderfully playful moments in this episode - freaking Dean out by banging on the car door, and then shoving the seat forward with Dean still in it so he could get into the back standing out among them. Hee!
Sam's not sinking into hopeless broodiness over Dean's deal and fate, as he might have in the past. Having resisted everything the YED threw at him, he's found strength he never knew he had, stiffening his resolve to save the brother who gave up literally everything he had to save him. And I love that about him. He's still got doubts and he's still got fears - what Pride had to say to him about being the YED's golden boy, the chosen king of the demons, but not recognised as such with the YED now dead, that's intriguing, a subplot to be returned to later no doubt - but he's grown up a huge amount in one fell swoop, and it looks good on him.
Oh, and Bobby!! Man, they surgically removed him from his cap in this episode! I didn't recognise him in the suit at first, it was so un-Bobby a costume. Heh. Bobby is officially cemented in the hearts of fans as the best recurring character ever, and long may he continue so. I think the fact that he was introduced organically, and then continued from there, makes the big difference. He wasn't a character dreamed up in advance, with plots then twisted around to fit his introduction in. He grew out of the storyline, was introduced in the course of the action, rather than as a sideline to that action, and is unbelievably awesome. He's so very freaked out by what they are all facing, but unbowed, resolved to keep fighting no matter what, but the enormity of it all is showing through here and there. Like that scene when he yelled at Tamara, that was excellent. He's the voice of reason, striking the note of caution where younger heads would just rush on in, and that is sorely needed.
Was a bit miffed, mind, that Isaac and Tamara were blaming the boys - and Bobby, I guess - for all those demons being released in the first place. The Yellow-Eyed Demon was an ancient, powerful evil that had been planning this for generations. Yes, they were there when it all played out, and yes, they were unable to prevent the devil's gate being opened. But they did the best they could - I'd like to have seen Isaac and Tamara, for example, doing any better, since they didn't exactly cover themselves with glory in this episode. And Dean killed the Yellow-Eyed Demon, which means that the worst of his plans have been thwarted. Yes, an army of demons has been unleashed, and mopping that up is going to be ugly, but it could have been a hell of a lot worse. I don't think blaming the soldiers who were on the front line at the time is going to help anyone.
Have to admit that I didn't like Tamara at all. The mispronunciation of her name didn't help - is that how Americans say it? Rhyming with 'camera'? Because she was a British character, and over here we say it 'Ta-MAH-ra', and it just sounded horribly wrong to me every time her name was spoken. Mostly, though, there was just something about the character that rubbed me up wrong. I think it was the chemistry, or lack thereof, with her husband that did it. They were so lovey-dovey and sickly sweet over their hunting weaponry, and yet didn't convince me at all - all that perfect couple stuff felt like they were trying too hard. I could excuse that as them being awkward in front of strangers. But like I said, they didn't exactly cover themselves in glory as hunters, either. As a couple, I liked Isaac's character a lot better - the actor convinced me a lot more. But Tamara did improve later, once Isaac was dead and she was pitching a fit about it. And I really enjoyed that tiny moment when Sam asked Dean if he thought she'd be all right, and Dean just said no, she definitely wouldn't be. Because he was in her position himself just a week earlier, and he wasn't all right at all.
I'm...not going to comment on Blondie, whose name I believe is Ruby. I wasn't impressed with her, glad she was only in three scenes, but hope that as we get to know her better and her character is fleshed out more with further run-ins with the brothers, she might grow on me. I wasn't too impressed with Jo when we first met her last season, but grew very fond of her, and regret that we're unlikely to see her again. Ellen wasn't mentioned in this episode - I hope she's gone to reunite with her daughter and patch up their differences. At a time like this, they need each other!
Um, what else? Love the new titles. Again. Too many tiny beautiful moments to mention here - those will have to wait for the full recap. Really enjoyed the final scene with Sam snapping and confronting Dean about his attitude, calling him on the hypocrisy of his actions, and Dean unashamedly admitting that it was selfish, but not caring in the slightest. The entire course of Dean's life has been shaped by the decisions other people have made, and now, for just about the first time ever, he's been the one to make the huge decision, to choose what he wants. And what he wants is for Sam to live, end of story, no matter what the cost. It costs his life? Fine, he gets to rest at last. And he's still being flippant about it, won't do any more than skim the surface of the intense emotion, that awful despair, that drove him to make that deal.
Yeah, it's going to be a fabulous season. Full recap will be up sometime next week, for anyone that cares.
Sooooo happy to have the boys back. Hiatus is way too long. And there was so much potential goodness for the third season set up by the ending of the second, the waiting to find out if that potential would be paid off and lived up to has made it seem longer still! Maybe not the strongest episode ever, but not the weakest either, not by a long shot: it was a whole lot of fun.
Oh boys. Loved them both so very, very much in this. There's an army of demons just got unleashed on the world, and Dean only has a year left to live, and yet it was like all their burdens had just rolled right off them.
Dean especially, of course. He's finally and completely discharged all that responsibility that's been hanging over his head for such a long time - most of his life, some of it - relieved himself of the burdens that weighed him down so heavily last season. He's saved Sam, seen his father find eternal rest, and killed the Yellow-Eyed Demon that had destroyed his family. He's practically giddy with relief. That's the best part of 24 years of hard work, pain and responsibility off his shoulders at last, and his light-hearted relief follows on well from where we left him at the end of All Hell Breaks Loose, still riding the incredible adrenaline high of an impossible task successfully accomplished. With one year left on the clock, and counting, he wants to cut loose and have a little fun wherever possible, and who can blame him?
Trying a little too hard at times to convince that he's absolutely okay with it all? That too. And that's very Dean. It kind of surprised me at first that he would so openly talk about having only one year left to live, rubbing it in for Sam. But he said it so often, over and over, that it started to make sense. He's using direct confrontation of the issue to avoid the issue. Like if he says it often enough he can convince Sam - and Bobby - that it really is real, and there really is no way out, and he's good with that. The more he says it, the more uncomfortable they are with confronting him about it, which suits him just fine. Until Sam finally snaps and calls him on it.
Sam was just gorgeous in this episode. I've never loved him more. Because he's also riding the post-YED high, the weight just rolling off his shoulders, but with a brand new focus for his obsessive-compulsive tendencies added. Sam was practically paralysed with fear for so much of last season - fear of what the YED had planned for him, fear of what he might turn into - I'd almost forgotten how much fun he can be when he relaxes. He had such wonderfully playful moments in this episode - freaking Dean out by banging on the car door, and then shoving the seat forward with Dean still in it so he could get into the back standing out among them. Hee!
Sam's not sinking into hopeless broodiness over Dean's deal and fate, as he might have in the past. Having resisted everything the YED threw at him, he's found strength he never knew he had, stiffening his resolve to save the brother who gave up literally everything he had to save him. And I love that about him. He's still got doubts and he's still got fears - what Pride had to say to him about being the YED's golden boy, the chosen king of the demons, but not recognised as such with the YED now dead, that's intriguing, a subplot to be returned to later no doubt - but he's grown up a huge amount in one fell swoop, and it looks good on him.
Oh, and Bobby!! Man, they surgically removed him from his cap in this episode! I didn't recognise him in the suit at first, it was so un-Bobby a costume. Heh. Bobby is officially cemented in the hearts of fans as the best recurring character ever, and long may he continue so. I think the fact that he was introduced organically, and then continued from there, makes the big difference. He wasn't a character dreamed up in advance, with plots then twisted around to fit his introduction in. He grew out of the storyline, was introduced in the course of the action, rather than as a sideline to that action, and is unbelievably awesome. He's so very freaked out by what they are all facing, but unbowed, resolved to keep fighting no matter what, but the enormity of it all is showing through here and there. Like that scene when he yelled at Tamara, that was excellent. He's the voice of reason, striking the note of caution where younger heads would just rush on in, and that is sorely needed.
Was a bit miffed, mind, that Isaac and Tamara were blaming the boys - and Bobby, I guess - for all those demons being released in the first place. The Yellow-Eyed Demon was an ancient, powerful evil that had been planning this for generations. Yes, they were there when it all played out, and yes, they were unable to prevent the devil's gate being opened. But they did the best they could - I'd like to have seen Isaac and Tamara, for example, doing any better, since they didn't exactly cover themselves with glory in this episode. And Dean killed the Yellow-Eyed Demon, which means that the worst of his plans have been thwarted. Yes, an army of demons has been unleashed, and mopping that up is going to be ugly, but it could have been a hell of a lot worse. I don't think blaming the soldiers who were on the front line at the time is going to help anyone.
Have to admit that I didn't like Tamara at all. The mispronunciation of her name didn't help - is that how Americans say it? Rhyming with 'camera'? Because she was a British character, and over here we say it 'Ta-MAH-ra', and it just sounded horribly wrong to me every time her name was spoken. Mostly, though, there was just something about the character that rubbed me up wrong. I think it was the chemistry, or lack thereof, with her husband that did it. They were so lovey-dovey and sickly sweet over their hunting weaponry, and yet didn't convince me at all - all that perfect couple stuff felt like they were trying too hard. I could excuse that as them being awkward in front of strangers. But like I said, they didn't exactly cover themselves in glory as hunters, either. As a couple, I liked Isaac's character a lot better - the actor convinced me a lot more. But Tamara did improve later, once Isaac was dead and she was pitching a fit about it. And I really enjoyed that tiny moment when Sam asked Dean if he thought she'd be all right, and Dean just said no, she definitely wouldn't be. Because he was in her position himself just a week earlier, and he wasn't all right at all.
I'm...not going to comment on Blondie, whose name I believe is Ruby. I wasn't impressed with her, glad she was only in three scenes, but hope that as we get to know her better and her character is fleshed out more with further run-ins with the brothers, she might grow on me. I wasn't too impressed with Jo when we first met her last season, but grew very fond of her, and regret that we're unlikely to see her again. Ellen wasn't mentioned in this episode - I hope she's gone to reunite with her daughter and patch up their differences. At a time like this, they need each other!
Um, what else? Love the new titles. Again. Too many tiny beautiful moments to mention here - those will have to wait for the full recap. Really enjoyed the final scene with Sam snapping and confronting Dean about his attitude, calling him on the hypocrisy of his actions, and Dean unashamedly admitting that it was selfish, but not caring in the slightest. The entire course of Dean's life has been shaped by the decisions other people have made, and now, for just about the first time ever, he's been the one to make the huge decision, to choose what he wants. And what he wants is for Sam to live, end of story, no matter what the cost. It costs his life? Fine, he gets to rest at last. And he's still being flippant about it, won't do any more than skim the surface of the intense emotion, that awful despair, that drove him to make that deal.
Yeah, it's going to be a fabulous season. Full recap will be up sometime next week, for anyone that cares.
